Refrigerator appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a food storage chamber. In addition, refrigerator appliances also generally include a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to permit selective access to food items stored in the food storage chamber. Certain refrigerator appliances, commonly referred to as door-in-door refrigerator appliances, may also include an outer door rotatably hinged to the inner door to permit selective access to the food storage chamber or, alternatively, a food storage chamber positioned between the inner and outer doors. In addition, door-in-door appliances may also include a gasket positioned on the outer door. Thus, when the outer door is in the closed position, the gasket seals against the inner door to enclose the food storage chamber.
Door-in-door refrigerator appliances also generally include a locking mechanism that allows a user to lock the inner and outer door together. The locking mechanism generally includes a latch positioned on the outer door and a mating catch positioned on the inner door. In operation, the latch engages the catch to lock the outer door to the inner door. However, because of the air-tight or near air-tight seal effected when the outer door is in the closed position, the effect of a hard or even moderate slamming of the outer door is to compress the air within the cabinet so quickly and before it can escape that the compressed air sets up a counter force tending to re-open the outer door.
Accordingly, a door-in-door refrigerator appliance having a locking assembly with features for assisting with closing the outer door would be useful.